


Eight Letter Phrases

by grandAce



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-23
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-05 19:45:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4192563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grandAce/pseuds/grandAce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes eight letters to love someone.</p><p>It takes eight letters to be a cheater.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eight Letter Phrases

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dadkage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dadkage/gifts).



Oikawa Tooru had A Problem.

Once upon a time, Oikawa had thought of it as a blessing. What was wrong with having a big heart, with having so much love contained inside a single person that they loved everyone, that each and every friend was something _more_ than that, because they put their entire heart into every person? What was wrong with love?

Well… a lot of things, apparently. In fact, the more that Oikawa thought about it, the more obvious it was that this love, this boundless affection, must be some kind of curse.

It wasn’t fair. The four third years were a _team_ , and not only in the gymnasium, on the volleyball court. You don’t break up a team! The idea of choosing, of picking, of selecting just _one_ of them was unthinkable. It wasn’t a matter of playing favorites! Even if Oikawa were allowed to select _two_ , it wasn’t going to work. It would be heartbreaking, after all, for the poor, neglected fourth person, and especially when, even though that person hadn’t been “chosen”, Oikawa still loved unlucky number four too…

All Oikawa wanted was for everyone to be happy...

★ ★ ★

“Makki~”

Oikawa’s voice lilted while he sing-songed the other teen’s name. Hanamaki’s answer was a hum of acknowledgment, the fingers of one hand gently brushing through the hair of the setter who had taken over his lap as though it were some kind of pillow, fair game to anyone who wished for it (as long as “anyone” meant “Oikawa”). With this assurance that he had Hanamaki’s attention, Oikawa continued.

“I don’t think I’m a boy.” Oikawa’s words carried his usual level of confidence, utterly certain of everything he ever said or did, even as his heart stuttered and fluttered within his chest. He couldn’t help it, twisting so that he could look up at Hanamaki, his eyes searching the impassive face for anything, some kind of reaction to this announcement.

“I don’t really like being called a boy. It doesn’t feel right.” Trying to prompt an answer from Hanamaki, Oikawa continued talking. “I don’t think I’m a girl either. I mean, I told you, how I wear my sister’s skirts sometimes, but that’s not it. I’m just… I mean… I’m something _else_.”

Hanamaki glanced down at him, then looked back to the television. “Non-binary?” he commented, only half a question, and Oikawa wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be an answer or a suggestion or an explanation, but the pounding of his heart began to calm down. Hanamaki’s fingers were still brushing through his hair, and Oikawa shifted closer to the touch.

“Is that what it’s called?” He knew that asking Hanamaki was the best idea. While Oikawa adored both Iwaizumi and Matsukawa, Hanamaki was the one who always seemed to understand what he was trying to get at, to know words, ideas, concepts that Oikawa wasn’t even sure of, describing them in vague terms. “I’ll look it up later.”

★ ★ ★

And.. why _couldn’t_ he love all of them? Oikawa was clever, talented, intelligent… so why couldn’t he make it work? Why couldn’t he make sure everyone was happy? He was an affectionate enough person in public that no one else had to think anything of it!

Oikawa looked up all sorts of things, and one word he had come across was polyamory. It wasn’t actually cheating, dating all three of them. Oikawa wasn’t doing anything wrong! He loved all of them! He wasn’t going to play favorites or neglect anyone! Omission of information wasn’t the same as blatantly lying. And besides, he planned on telling everyone eventually. He just had to test the waters first...

★ ★ ★

Oikawa couldn’t remember a time when he wasn’t in love with Iwaizumi. He could remember when they first joined a volleyball team together. He could remember when Iwaizumi’s bed wasn’t so cramped when the two of them shared it during sleepovers. But… he wasn’t sure if there even was a time when he hadn’t been in love with his best friend, mentally committed to spending the rest of his life at Iwaizumi’s side.

“Iwa-chan, don’t be angry…”

Iwaizumi mumbled an answer beside him, face pressed to his pillow. He turned his head to look at Oikawa, and though he didn’t say it, Oikawa knew the look was a complaint. _It’s 2 in the morning, Oikawa,_ the look said. _Go the fuck to sleep._ Oikawa smiled, scooting closer to Iwaizumi and pressing a small kiss to his lips.

“I love you.” Another mumble answered him, Iwaizumi turning away. There was silence, and Oikawa shifted until his back was pressed against Iwaizumi’s. “I want to be with you forever.”

Iwaizumi didn’t say anything, but when Oikawa woke up the next morning, it was with an arm wrapped around his waist and a face pressed to the back of his neck. It took another week before Iwaizumi did more than nod at his confessions, and a few more days still before he answered, “Love you too, dumbass.”

★ ★ ★

“Would it bother you if Makki was dating someone else?” Oikawa asked, nibbling on a french fry and staring out the front window at the people walking past.

Matsukawa thought Oikawa was being particularly transparent today, as well as this question being rather hypocritical if he was supposed to already be dating Oikawa. “We’re not together, Tooru. We’re just… close. We’re…” He trailed off, and Oikawa snatched up the dying thread of conversation.

“Queer platonic. I know. Makki told me.” Oikawa paused, and his head turned enough to look at Matsukawa. “So it wouldn’t bother you?” Matsukawa’s shrug earned a thoughtful hum, Oikawa picking up another fry to nibble on. He lapsed into silence, finally beginning a thought with “What about…” He paused to take a drink of his soda.

“You?”

Oikawa began coughing, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Matsukawa was silent until Oikawa managed to calm down again, an amused smile on his lips the entire time. Finally, Oikawa managed to speak. “How long have you known?”

Matsukawa hummed thoughtfully. “Since the beginning? We all did.” Oikawa paled, and this only made Matsukawa grin even more. “It was entertaining. How you tried so hard to keep it all a secret and juggle all of our schedules.” Slowly the color began to return to Oikawa’s features, the brunet going from pale as a sheet to a brilliant shade of red. “We were going to tell you eventually, but…”

Oikawa groaned, pushing his tray forward so that he could fold his arms on the table and bury his face in them. A soft whine could be heard, along with a quiet “oh my goooooooood”. Matsukawa allowed him to stew in his misery for several moments, taking a fry from the tray that was pushed onto his side of the table.

“But y’know, polyamorous intentions or not, it’s still cheating if it’s a secret.” Matsukawa took another fry. “We should all talk about this. Properly, all four of us, and not just us three laughing at you.”

Oikawa whined softly. “You guys laughed at me?”

Matsukawa grinned. “All the time.”

★ ★ ★

Oikawa frowned as he set down the box in his arms. It only took the briefest of looks around the barely furnished room to determine that he was the only one still making an effort at working. His frustration was voiced out loud in an exaggerated groan, loud enough to be heard even over the rattle of the aged air conditioner that Iwaizumi stood next to. It made Iwaizumi look up from the glass in his hand, pausing in his thirsty gulps to switch the glass to his opposite hand and flick the wet droplets of condensation from his fingers. “Yeah?”

Matsukawa and Hanamaki seemed less interested in the implied complaint. The former continued pouring tea into a glass for himself, standing halfway inside the apartment’s kitchenette. The latter did not move from his position on the sole piece of furniture in the living room: a large couch that the four of them had moved into the apartment first, placing it dead center in the main room.

They had agreed that interior decorating was something they could worry about _after_ everything was moved in, when Oikawa finally became frustrated with the room and demanded assistance in rearranging everything to his arbitrary standards, and when everyone else followed up with their own nitpicking and adjusting. At the moment, the couch’s only purpose was for times when one of them or another needed a break from carrying their boxed possessions up to the apartment.

Times like _now_ , apparently, when everyone decided, _completely independent of Oikawa_ , that it was a perfect time for everyone _except Oikawa_ to take a break together and to leave _poor Oikawa_ , delicate and willowy and honestly not at all built for the heat of a Tokyo summer, to continue carrying boxes containing _everyone’s_ possessions all by his lonesome.

Oikawa didn’t bother to answer Iwaizumi, rubbing at his shoulders absently before sulking toward the couch. Irritation was voiced again with an exaggerated huff as the brunet crawled over the couch’s armrest and sprawled across its length, ending with his head on Hanamaki’s lap and a petulant pout on his lips. Regardless of all irritation, he don’t complain when Hanamaki’s fingers begin to card through his hair.

No one said a word.

“Aren’t you guys going to ask why I’m upset?” Oikawa finally broke the silence. He twisted, turning to lie on his back as Hanamaki’s fingers retreated. His pout had morphed into a frown as he stared upward at the lazy smirk above him. “Because I am! Seriously!”

This prompted an answer, at least, from Iwaizumi. Leaving the air conditioner behind, he walked to the couch’s side, balancing his hands on the armrest and looking down at Oikawa. “What’s wrong.” It was hardly a question, spoken in an uninterested deadpan as though Iwaizumi was resigned to this conversation.

“You’re all taking a break without me!” Oikawa burst out, as though it had been a conscious effort to keep from spilling his complaints. No one said anything in their defense, and Oikawa groaned. “You guys just want me to do all of the hard work. It’s absolutely terrible.”

Matsukawa finally decided to join the group around the couch, setting his tea on the counter. He stood behind the couch, arms folding over the back of it and a lazy kiss placed on Hanamaki’s left temple. “It is. We are the worst people, taking a short break after you’ve already taken… hm. Six, was it?”

Iwaizumi shrugged. “Something like that?”

Hanamaki hummed in agreement.

“That’s not the point! I’m -- wait, Makki!”

He was, apparently, without his lap-turned-pillow. Hanamaki lifted his head to stand up, dropping Oikawa back onto the couch and stretching. He began walking toward the door. “It’s too hot to have you three all hovering around me. C’mon, Iwa, let’s get that television up here before I change my mind.” Iwaizumi grunted in acknowledgment, straightening up after giving Oikawa’s hair an affectionate ruffle. He moved to follow Hanamaki out the door.

Frowning as four became two, brown eyes blinked upward at Matsukawa, the latter grinning down at him as he leaned over the back of the couch. He sighed loudly before closing his eyes. “Are you leaving me too?” he asked as he heard footsteps begin to walk away. A soft chuckle rose above the sound of the air conditioner.

“I’ll stick around until Hajime and Takahiro get back. I’m just grabbing my tea.”

And come back Matsukawa did, sitting at the opposite end of the couch and letting Oikawa’s legs stretch across his lap. They sat in silence for several moments, before Oikawa finally spoke up again. “All four of us won’t be able to fit in one bed…”

Matsukawa laughed. “We already figured that out,” he answered, his free hand rubbing at Oikawa’s right calf. “Without you. Again.” Each segment of the statement was carefully stated, and Oikawa huffed.

“I really should be involved in these kinds of discussions. I _was_ the captain.”


End file.
